1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a device and system for absorbing shocks in a vehicle such as a car, truck, or motorcycle, and more specifically, to a shock absorber device and system having an adjustable length spring divider.
2. Description of Related Art
A vehicle, such as a car, truck, or motorcycle, has a suspension that connects and allows motion between the vehicle and its tires. The vehicle's suspension includes shock absorbers, tires, air for the tires, and linkages. The shock absorbers, often referred to simply as shocks or shock dampers, are located on the suspension and are configured to absorb shock impulses of the vehicle. Shock absorbers dampen shock jolts and vibrations by converting the kinetic energy of the shock into other forms of energy such as heat.
Shock absorbers assist with ride quality and vehicle handling. For ride quality, shock absorbers minimize bumps, vibrations, and road noise for a comfortable driving experience. For vehicle handling, shock absorbers improve braking and help the vehicle handle curves in the road.
Some shock absorbers have a spring divider and a threaded secondary stop that controls the tradeoff between ride quality and vehicle handling. Conventionally, a technician manually rotates the secondary stop, which is threaded, away from or towards a spring divider on the shock absorber, controlling a gap size between the spring divider and secondary stop. The spring divider moves up or down as the shock absorbers as the springs are compressed or extended, respectively, decreasing or increasing the gap size between the secondary spring stop and the spring divider, causing the spring rate to transition either earlier or later in the shock stroke.
The technician sets the gap size based on a tradeoff between ride quality and vehicle handling, where the technician increases the gap size by threading the secondary stop up and away from the spring divider to improve ride quality, such as during pleasure driving. Conversely, the technician decreases the gap size by threading the secondary stop down and towards from the spring divider for better vehicle handling, such as during sporty driving. Thus, it is not possible to achieve the best of both vehicle handling and ride quality at the same time since the rotational adjustments are in opposite directions.
A problem with conventional shock absorbers is that these rotational adjustments to the shock absorber, moving the threaded secondary stop up or down the shock absorber, must be done when the vehicle is stopped and the stop is manually adjusted using tools. Typically the vehicle is also turned off when the shock absorber adjustment is made, but at the very least, not while the vehicle is in motion. In other words, conventional shock absorbers do not allow for shock absorber adjustments on the fly, that is, while the vehicle is in motion. As a result, a vehicle owner must make a compromise between vehicle handling and ride quality.
U.S. Patent Publication Number 2009/0302559 by Doerfel is directed to a spring assembly with an adjustable spring rate and a spring strut, where spring struts have a coil spring and a hydraulic shock absorber. The spring assembly includes a master spring, a slide, a stop and at least one auxiliary spring connected in series with the master spring. The position of the slide is adjustable such that, when, during the compression of the spring assembly, the auxiliary spring has overcome a predetermined compression path, the stop strikes against the slide, and a further compression of the auxiliary spring is thereby prevented. The spring assembly has a spring rate that can be adjusted in a simple, fast and precise manner. However, Doerfel falls short because his device only adjusts the overall spring rate not the transition point between two or more spring rates. The Doerfel device also falls short because it requires a custom shock while the present invention can be placed between two springs on a conventional coil-over shock.